Unresolved External Symbol while creating an object - c++

Question

I am trying to run a main.cpp which access 3 different classes. For some reason, I am getting a unresolved external symbol error. From what I've seen online, its clearly a linking error somewhere, but I cannot find it. I've listed the error below, but it's got a lot of info in it and im having trouble finding out exactly what it means.
The error: main.obj:-1: error: LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: __thiscall AtpReader::AtpReader(class std::basic_string,class std::allocator >)" (??0AtpReader##QAE#V?$basic_string#DU?$char_traits#D#std##V?$allocator#D#2##std###Z)
My code is:
main.cpp:
#include <iostream>
#include "atlasobject.h"
#include "atp.h"
#include "atpreader.h"
using namespace std;
int main()
{
AtpReader reader("E:/doc.txt");
return 0;
}
AtpReader.h:
#ifndef ATPREADER_H
#define ATPREADER_H
#include "atp.h"
class AtpReader
{
public:
AtpReader();
AtpReader(string filename);
void atpReadHeader();
void atpRead();
string decryptLine(string line);
ATP readerATP;
private:
string file;
};
#endif // ATPREADER_H
atp.h:
#ifndef ATP_H
#define ATP_H
#include "atlasobject.h"
#include "vector"
struct Image{
string Dim;
string Vox;
string Ori;
char* data;
};
class ATP
{
public:
ATP();
vector<AtlasObject> listOfMaps;
private:
Image referenceImage;
};
#endif // ATP_H
and AtlasObject.h:
#ifndef ATLASOBJECT_H
#define ATLASOBJECT_H
#include <string>
using namespace std;
class AtlasObject{
public:
//virtual void create();
AtlasObject();
void set_uid(string id);
void set_label(string l);
void set_offset(string o);
void set_mapInfo(string info);
void set_data(char* inData);
void set_isEncrypted(int encrypted);
string get_uid();
string get_label();
string get_offset();
string get_mapInfo();
char* get_data();
int get_isEncrypted();
protected:
string uid;
string label;
string offset;
string mapInfo;
char *data;
int isEncrypted;
};
#endif // ATLASOBJECT_H
my AtpReader.cpp is:
#include "atpreader.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <fstream>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <sstream>
AtpReader::AtpReader()
{
printf("AtpReader()\n");
}
AtpReader::AtpReader(string filename)
{
printf("AtpReader(%s)\n",filename.c_str());
}

Answer 1

I see you did not include AtpReader.h in AtpReader.cpp, but probably you just missed it when you made copy/paste, to insert it here, because if you didn't really include it, the error would have been different. Also, I see you're including in your main.cpp both "atlasobject.h"
and "atp.h" and you don't really need that.
Later edit: Your problem is in the atp.h...you constructor is declared but never defined. Do this: ATP(){};

Answer 2

Try using g++ in linux terminal
make the object files of each of the source codes and then link the object files and run the executable
g++ -c atp.cpp AtpReader.cpp AtlasObject.cpp
g++ -o exe atp.o AtpReader.o AtlasObject.o
./exe

Answer 3

AtpReader.cpp is not getting built or the its object file is not getting linked to final executable. Check if AtpReader.obj/.o is created in build directory.

Answer 4

Because of the linker error you are getting and assuming that this is some of your actual code. Since I can't see any function inlining, global constants or variables being used out of scope I think the problem is located in the AtpReader.cpp, are you missing an #include AtpReader.h there?
With just a function prototype, the compiler can continue without error, but the linker cannot resolve a call to an address because there is no function code or variable space reserved. You will not see this error until you create a call to the function that the linker must resolve.